The present invention is a method whereby yield of saturates/1-ring aromatics rich raffinate obtained by the solvent extraction of a hydrocarbon feed is increased by a process involving the steps of solvent extracting a hydrocarbon feed to produce a raffinate phase and an extract phase, removing the extraction solvent from the extract phase by, for example, distillation to produce an extract oil passing the extract oil to a membrane separation process wherein a saturates/1-ring aromatics rich retentate is produced as is a 2+ ring aromatics rich permeate phase and recycling the saturates/1-ring aromatics rich retentate back to the solvent extraction process for addition to the hydrocarbon feed for processing in the solvent extraction process.
The amount of saturates/1-ring aromatics rich raffinate obtained by this integrated process is greatly enhanced as compared to the yield obtained without the recycle of the membrane produced retentate phase to the solvent extraction zone.